After Overseeing Biggest Medicare Fraud In History, Sen Scott Doesn’t Want to Vote on Health Nominee That Would Crack Down on Medicare Fraud

Sen. Rick Scott, who walked away with $300 million after his company defrauded Medicare, is prioritizing special interest and health care industry profits over working families

WASHINGTON D.C. — Senator Rick Scott, the former health care executive whose company was forced to pay $1.7 billion in fines after committing the nation’s largest health care fraud scheme at the time, refused to answer whether he believes President-elect Biden’s Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary nominee, Attorney General Xavier Becerra, and other Cabinet picks deserve a floor vote in the Senate. After his company defrauded Medicare while he walked away with $300 million, Scott has consistently stood with health care corporations and special interests allies to restrict access to health care for working families. In contrast, as Attorney General, Becerra has a record of cracking down on fraud in Medicare and Medicaid and would be charged with regulating those programs as HHS Secretary.

Scott falsely claimed that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer slowed down Trump nominees; in reality, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell rushed through nominee after nominee, including Trump’s first HHS secretary, Tom Price, despite concerns from ethics watchdogs about Price’s “brazen” stock trades. Price later resigned amid scandal over his abuse of taxpayer-funded travel on private jets.

“After setting the record for the largest fine paid for Medicare fraud, it’s no surprise that Senator Rick Scott doesn’t want to vote on Xavier Becerra, who has spent his career fighting to protect health care access and hold bad actors in the health industry accountable,” said Mairead Lynn, spokesperson for the Accountable.US Senate War Room. “Senator Scott’s special interest allies are looking to him to prioritize their profits over families’ access to affordable quality health care — and it looks like Scott is listening.”

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